Felice Fontana (1730-1805)

Overview

Felice Fontana (April 15, 1730 - March 10, 1805), was an Italian physicist who discovered the water gas shift reaction in 1780. He is also credited with launching modern toxicology and investigating the human eye. Fontana investigated the sensibility and irritability of animals and published a famous scientific article about it entitled Mémoires sur les parties sensibles et irritables du corps animal. He also created many wax models of human anatomy and sold them to Emperor Joseph II of Austria for his military medical academy.